Why Does Data Matter in PR?

Are you wondering why does data matter in public relations? The measurement and evaluation of data is crucial in creating an effective PR strategy. When it comes to PR, data is the collection of information polled from consumers in the target audience. This data is then used to create content that is relevant to your market. Data can be a useful tool in landing placement in top-tier media publications, such as The New York Times, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal, depending on your target audience.

At Walker Sands, we effectively create data-driven PR to help our clients obtain placements in their target publications. We used existing data to help one of our earliest clients, BizBuySell.com, land over 350 placements, 299 of which were attributed to Insights Outreach, a quarterly analysis that measures the health of the small business economy in 70 different Designated Market Areas around the country.

Why does data matter?: Four Ways Data Improves PR Efforts

There are a number of ways data can help improve PR for your business.

Gives Insight into Industry Trends. The paradox of choice tells us we have too many choices, too many decisions and too little time to do what is really important. Data helps you sort through the choices to make the right decision for your company in the shortest amount of time, largely because it highlights key trends.

Positions Your Company as a Thought Leader. Thought leadership promotes new ways of thinking and challenges the status quo by offering new perspectives. Include data in white pages, contributed articles, website copy and blog posts to show consumers your expertise in the field. Once you position your company as a credible research and data source, reporters may begin to solicit comments from you on a regular basis.

Provides a Basis for Content Marketing and Other PR Collateral. By using data to evaluate customer trends (who’s buying what, what’s popular where, etc.) you can start to build a successful campaign. Some data studies have a longer shelf life than others, and can be used as a source for reporters and content up to a year after the study was conducted.

Helps Increase Traffic. When you include data in your pitches, it gives reporters a focal point for articles. These articles will link back to your websites, driving traffic to your digital properties. The use of data in white papers, SEO pages and infographics can also generate increased site traffic.

Why does data matter?: Tips for Conducting Effective Data Studies

Keep your data current by conducting studies regularly or quarterly, depending on your budget. It’s also useful to track projects to see what works and what can be improved. If you conduct a study that proves successful, it may be beneficial to update the survey quarterly. The template is already in place, so it doesn’t take as much time to repeat the study. Eventually, reporters begin to expect your data and will consistently use it in stories that reference your company.

So, why does data matter? The bottom line is that you can use it to improve the results of your PR program. Walker Sands is a leader in data-driven PR. We’ve helped create innovative marketing campaigns for each of our clients through custom studies and data research. Call us at (312)235-6173 and we can help you get started with collecting, organizing and analyzing your data today.